For many fitness enthusiasts, a pair of headphones is just as essential a piece of exercise equipment as a pair of dumbbells. Thanks to advances in technology that have driven down the cost and size of portable music players, being force to listen to whatever
is playing over the sound system at the gym is no longer necessary. It seems nearly every exerciser at the gym is supplying their own personal soundtrack via an iPod or similar device. While many feel that music has the ability to pump them up, there has been little scientific research exploring the possible beneficial effects of music on the body and exercise performance. Recently, though, the Journal of Exercise Physiology addressed this issue with a novel experiment.

The study included both males and females and the participant pool was broken into three groups: fast music, slow music, and no music, corresponding to what subjects would be listening to during the experiment. Regardless of what they were listening to, each of the groups participated in the same mode of exercise - steady state cardio with no incline. The researchers were unsure of the effects of the music, as it has traditionally been used more for relaxation than to augment athletic performance. In addition, previous research has yielded inconsistent results.

The subjects jogged for 15 minutes, with measurements for heart rate, stroke volume (the volume of blood ejected during one contraction), frequency of breaths, oxygen consumption (the amount of oxygen used by tissues during respiration) and cardiac output (the amount of blood pumped from a ventricle in one minute) taken every minute, beginning at the seventh minute of exercise. To ensure that these measurements were not affected by external factors, subjects were prohibited from exercising 24 hours prior to the session, and from consuming caffeine for four hours beforehand.

After compiling the statistics, the researchers found several striking differences between the fast, slow, and no music groups. Those listening to the music with a faster tempo displayed greater rates of oxygen consumption, cardiac output, stroke volume and frequency of breaths than those in the other two groups. In addition, systematic vascular resistance also decreased significantly. And while listening to music with a faster tempo appeared to increase the work of the lungs, there was no difference in blood pressure between any of the groups.

The researchers also pointed out that the increase in oxygen consumption also triggered an increase in caloric expenditure for the fast music group, suggesting that listening to high-tempo music during exercise can actually aid in weight management by burning more calories. Lastly, the researchers noted that "by acting as a positive influence on caloric expenditure, fast music may motivate the individual to increase adherence to exercise, allowing a greater caloric expenditure over time."

So put away the slow jams - for fast-paced fat burning, there's a need for speed!

SOURCES:

Birnbaum, et al. Cardiovascular responses to music tempo during steady-state exercise. Journal of Exercise Physiology Online, 2009; 12(1): 50-56